Regular scaling may reduce the risk of heart attack

Afterreading this article on TF1 News, I found it interesting to reproduce it on our site.
Regular scaling would reduce the risk of heart attack.

By Véronique Buonomano , 14 November 2011 at 10:10 am , updated 14 November 2011 at 10:26 am

Regular teeth cleaning by a dentist could reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke, according to a study by Taiwanese cardiologists unveiled on Sunday in Orlando, US.
A bright smile, not only to seduce but to live longer? Regular scaling and cleaning of teeth could reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke by 24% and 23% respectively, compared to people who have never had dental work done. This is the finding of a study by Taiwanese cardiologists who met on Sunday in Orlando, USA, for the annual conference of the American Heart Association.
This study was conducted on 100,000 people, followed for seven years. Of the participants, more than 51,000 underwent at least one dental scaling. Doctors consider a tooth cleaning to be frequent if it is done at least twice or more in two years. None of the participants in this study had suffered a heart attack or stroke at the start of this research, the authors said. " The protection against cardiovascular disease and stroke was more pronounced in participants who had their teeth scaled at least once a year," says Dr. Emily Chen, a cardiologist at the Veterans General Hospital in Taipei, one of the lead authors of the research.
Bleeding gums increases heart risk.
Before this study, poor dental hygiene was already medically linked to increased cardiovascular risk. Regular cleaning and scaling of teeth appears to reduce the development of bacteria in the oral cavity that cause inflammation and can contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease, according to the researchers.

Another Swedish study involving nearly 8,000 participants, also presented in Orlando on Sunday, shows that gum disease is a good indicator of cardiovascular and stroke risk. People with fewer than 21 of the normal 32 teeth had a 69% increased risk of heart attack in this research compared with two who had the most teeth. Participants with the highest number of periodontal pockets, an infection of the gums around the tooth, had a 53% increased risk of cardiovascular disease compared to those with the fewest such infections. Participants with the fewest teeth had a 2.5-fold increase in the risk of heart failure. Finally, the study subjects with the most frequent gum bleeding had a 2.1-fold increase in the risk of stroke compared to those with the least. This research was mainly conducted by Dr Anders Holmlund, a dental surgeon.

By Véronique Buonomano on 14 November 2011 at 10:10

Notes : The consequences of gum disease discussed in this article are quite logical.
Bleeding gums (or Gingivitis), is a sign that the gums and supporting tissues of the tooth are becoming infected (Periodontitis).
This is an infectious disease and the bacteria that cause it can circulate throughout the body, which can affect our general health. Other links have been shown between gum disease and general health conditions. We know today that periodontitis favours the appearance of certain types of diabetes, is a risk factor for rheumatoid arthritis and cardiovascular diseases, and increases the risk of premature births, etc.

So let's take care of our gums, and don't hesitate to ask us questions!